Sooner Offense On Target In 10-8 Victory Over Wildcats

May 10, 2003

MANHATTAN, Kan. - The Oklahoma baseball team turned in one of its top offensive performances of the season as it took game two of the series from Kansas State with a 10-8 victory at Frank Myers Field at Tointon Family Stadium Saturday afternoon. Several Sooners recorded multi-hit and multi-RBI performances including sophomore right fielder Greg Kish and senior designated hitter Luke Alexander who both had two hits and drove in three runs a piece. OU starting pitcher David Purcey notched his second win of the year as he held KSU to only two runs on three hits while striking out a season high seven batters. Oklahoma improved to 20-26 overall and 8-15 in the Big 12 Conference with the win, while Kansas State fell to 13-35 overall and 3-20 in the league with the loss.

The Sooner sluggers posted season bests in runs and hits with 16 to post team superlatives in Big 12 games only. All but one of OU's starting nine got in on the hitting act as six players collected more than one hit.

Purcey did his part to lead Oklahoma to victory as he turned in his best starting performance of the season. He lasted a season high seven frames, which also tied his career high set last year, and issued only two walks. After giving up two runs in the second inning (only one of them earned), Purcey retired 13 of the next 16 Wildcats he faced.

OU sophomore first baseman Matt Bose (3-for-5) got the scoring started in the first inning as he took advantage of a two-out opportunity to drive in the Sooners' first run of the game. Bose singled to right field to bring home senior center fielder Reggie Willits (2-for-5) who put himself in scoring position following a base hit, sacrifice and a stolen base. Willits went on to swipe three more bases in the game to improve his conference-leading total to 31 and leave him a stolen base shy of the school record for stolen bases in a game.

In the second inning, the Sooners again scored a run by getting the lead off player on courteousy of a triple by junior shortstop Denver Kitch (1-for-4). Alexander (2-for-3) then followed with a ground out to first base to plate Kitch.

The Wildcats quickly tied the game with a two spot in the bottom of the second inning. KSU got their first two hitters on base due to a walk and a single and scored their first run on a single by right fielder Terry Blunt. Following a passed ball which advanced the two baserunners into scoring position, a sacrifice fly by designated hitter Andrew Dunsmore advanced left fielder Pat Maloney home for the second score.

The Sooners' opened up an eight run advantage by scoring multiple runs in the middle innings of the game. In the fourth inning, Alexander had a hand in both runs in the frame as he doubled in Kitch for the first run and came around to score on Willits' fielder's choice two batters later. Oklahoma then chased Kansas State starting pitcher Jim Ripley (3-7) in the next inning as it caused some two-out trouble as an error by the Wildcats' first baseman allowed the inning to continue. Kish (2-for-4) made them pay as he clubbed his first career home run, a two-run shot, to right field. After issuing a walk, Ripley was pulled in favor of reliever Andrew Ehling who was welcomed to the game by a RBI-double by Alexander to account for the third run of the inning and an 8-2 advantage.

The Sooners' offensive onslaught continued in the sixth frame as OU scored two runs on three hits and a walk before an out was recorded. The first out of the frame even plated a run for the Sooners as Kish lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to score Cornejo, who had driven in a run earlier in the inning.

Kansas State made the game interesting in the bottom of the ninth as it briefly rallied for six runs after being down by eight heading into their final at bats. The Wildcats tagged Sooner reliever Charlie House for the runs, three coming on a home run by KSU first baseman Tim Doty, after House had thrown two previous scoreless frames. Sophomore closer Jarod McAuliff came on to secure the final out to pick up his eighth save of the season.

The rubber match of the series will be played tomorrow at 1 p.m. at Frank Myers Field at Tointon Family Stadium. Oklahoma junior lefty Buddy Blair (3-6) will face off against Kansas State righty Kevin Melcher (0-6) on the mound.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Sooner Offense On Target In 10-8 Victory Over Wildcats

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